June Pet of the Month

Lacey is a beautiful 5 year old Rottweiler belonging to Gene and Felicia Lopez  of Parsippany.  Right around August of 2006 the Lopez’s went searching for a female Rottie. They found Lacey at a kennel in Paramus, the only Rottie available.  Lacey gravitated towards them and it was “love at first sight,” for both of them!  She quickly adjusted to her new home.  Lacey was about 4 months old.

She makes friends with everyone she comes in contact with.  She loves people and other dogs, although some dogs are a little intimidated by her.  According to Mrs. Lopez, Lacey is a big mush!  The one thing Lacey hates is sirens!  Unfortunately, she lives very near a fire house.

Lacey sure enjoys her Beggen Strips -- her favorite treat.  She can often be found munching on a knuckle bone too.  Her favorite toys are small toys, especially small stuffed animals.  Right now she’s very attached to a gorilla toy that makes gorilla noises.  The toy and Lacey are both black and tan in color.

Lacey lost the use of her back legs back on March 11th, just before her 5th birthday.  She chipped a bone from her vertebrae, causing paralysis of her hind legs.  So one would think she’s a special-needs dog with much difficulty in getting around.  That’s what one would think -- without knowing Lacey very well!  I guess you could say she “forgets” she has this handicap, especially since she received her cart.  Getting her cart was like a teenager with their first car.  Once in her cart she’s ready and raring to take off -- and has on several occasions!  In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez almost lost Lacey a couple of times when she took off out of the yard.  Fortunately, each time resulted in a happy reunion.  She also loves to ride in cars, so naturally looks forward to her recent trips to AMERICAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL to see Dr. Cheng and all of us when she comes for her special acupuncture treatments.

There’s something else very special about Lacey.  She’s a Yankee fan!  That’s right, she loves to watch the Yankees on TV.  Her favorite commercial is the one where Derek Jeter says everything looks better in pin stripes.  Coincidentally, her “mom” and “dad” are also avid Yankee fans!

You can see that Lacey is very unique and special!  All of us at AMERICAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL couldn’t be more pleased to honor “Lacey” Lopez as our Pet Of The Month for June, 2011!  Congratulations Lacey.

Top tips for boarding your pet this summer!!

It’s official! Summer is finally here, and with it comes road trips, vacations with the family and long weekends with friends.  Unfortunately, your best friend isn’t always invited. There are several dangersWhile you’re looking for a trusting source to leave your furry friend, (or scaly sidekick) here are some points to look for when selecting a facility to board at.

What kind of exercise will my pet get?

So admittedly this will vary with the type of pet you have (it’s rare that a cat enjoys a leash walk, but it’s always available) but you exercise your pet when you’re around, why should it be a couch potato while you’re away?  We include four outdoor walks a day at our hospital for all dog’s boarding (large dog’s stay exclusively in large runs), and cat’s have the option of condo’s to stretch and jump from level to level.  It’s important to maintain your pets active lifestyle, outdoor bathroom habits, keep them in the fresh air and sunshine and interacting with people on a daily basis!

What monitoring services are available?

We know your pet get’s a lot of attention at home, why should it stop while you’re away?  By monitoring your pet’s daily actions, they can see if there is any abnormality in their daily behavior.  In our experience it isn’t usual, however once we received a dog from an outside kennel that hadn’t been urinating for an extended period of time (more than two days before it was noticed!).  It turned out that this Dalmatian was suffering from bladder stones, and actually ended up with a tear in it’s bladder.  Fortunately, our very own Dr. Stockmal was able to accurately diagnose and perform the life saving surgery before the dog suffered septic poisoning.  Without proper constant monitoring, this best friend may not have been around to greet it’s owner when they came home.

What kind of environment do they stay in?

Many pet’s can be anxious when they’re away from their owner.  You should check to make sure that the facility is playing calming music, supplies toys to keep your pet’s mind active and that they have plenty of fresh blankets to sleep with. 

What access is there to a veterinarian?

Most facilities will not have a veterinarian on hand 24/7, but they should at least have a standing relationship with a local veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic!  At American Animal Hospital we’re fortunate to be an animal hospital first, so there are multiple doctors on hand six days a week and a veterinarian on call, and it makes a difference when we have a boarder that may need regular shots or has medical conditions that require more attention during its stay.  Be sure to check your pet’s needs with the facilities abilities.

And of course, how does your pet relate with the staff?

You wouldn’t stay at a hotel where you constantly think the staff is inattentive, so why would your pet?  A loving and gentle kennel attendant can make a huge difference.  Our borders occasionally join us for lunch or spend some time with our receptionists in addition to their daily walks; and you may notice this comment on your pet’s report card! Keeping a personal relationship between the facility and your pet makes it easier for them to adjust when you’re forced to say goodbye.


Hopefully these tips will help your pet have just as much fun as you do this summer!